


Love You Like Hell

by fath



Series: Love You Like Hell [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Humor, Breaking the Fourth Wall, Demons, Devil, F/M, First Blade, Hell, Hunters & Hunting, Implied Sexual Content, Knight of Hell, Like, Love, Lucifer's Cage, Mark of Cain, Original Character(s), POV Crowley, POV Original Female Character, Sexual Tension, knights of hell, you - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2016-07-11
Packaged: 2018-06-09 01:00:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 17,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6882685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fath/pseuds/fath
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lexi is a Knight of Hell. Not only that, but she is Cain's protégé. When Cain decides to retire, he names Lexi as his successor. She receives the Mark of Cain and is given the First Blade so that she may fulfill her duty as Master of the Knights. As the Master, it is Lexi's job to control the Knights, protect Hell, and see that the King, Crowley, is protected.</p><p>Crowley is not an easy boss to get along with. He's arrogant, rude, and the "evilest evil that's ever eviled." However, Lexi finds that there's a side to her King that most never get to see - a side that he hides in fear that they will think it's weakness. </p><p>Lexi is all that stands between Crowley and all his enemies. And when Lucifer himself is unleashed and comes calling, wanting his throne back, she is forced to make the ultimate choice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sisters Fight, Don't They?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [InkyAnimatronic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkyAnimatronic/gifts).



          Blades clashed in a loud clangor. Two figures fought in the center of a ring. Both of them partook in what looked like an intricate dance. Without the knives they held, it would have been rather beautiful. Neither of their weapons struck the other, but if their blows had hit their marks, it would have been a very different scene. The most aggressive figure wore a kind of armor that clung to her figure. Her thick, long brown hair was pulled back in a bun and pinned tightly to her head. She used a long scimitar—the curved blade was made out of ebony, and it shone brightly in the lights of the little arena. The other figure was smaller than the first and was another woman. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and was the color of blood. However, the woman used her smaller size to her advantage, darting about the larger figure and making quick strikes with a cutlass. The first figure quickly learned her strategy and managed to block each blow. After the fifth attempt at this, the first figure disarmed the second—the cutlass flew across the ring and landed with clang. Unarmed, the smaller figure sighed and knelt down on one knee. She wore the same armor as the first, and lowered her head. “I… yield.” She choked out the words as if they pained her to say them.

          The first figure grinned and sheathed her scimitar. “Better luck next time, Faith,” she said, stretching out a hand.

          The red-haired girl took it and stood up. “Your defense is pretty much impenetrable, Lexi,” she remarked. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Cain chose _you_ to be his successor once he retires… again.”

          Lexi bit her lip, considering this. Their Master, Cain, had taught the two demons everything they knew. After he killed the other Knights of Hell years ago and then the Winchester brothers took care of Abaddon, Cain decided it was best that he came back and trained a handful of demons just so hell would not be entirely defenseless. The Knights of Hell were the best of the best—they were rivaled only by Heaven’s archangels and there were only two of them left, and they were both locked in Lucifer’s cage. They were Hell’s most powerful warriors thanks to Cain’s tutelage; they were feared and admired. And Lexi loved all of it.

          _The Master of the Knights of Hell,_ she thought, savoring the idea. _It does sound rather delightful._

          “And, if you’re the Master of the Knights, then you’ll get to see Crowley on a regular basis,” Faith added, giving her a friendly nudge.

          Lexi gave her friend a sharp glare. She felt her face grow a little red and avoided the ginger’s bright green eyes. Lexi forced her own brown eyes to flash black so she could regain her composure and hide her own embarrassment. It was no secret to her best friend that she had a crush on Crowley, King of Hell. It was almost impossible not to—even Faith felt some form of lust for their King. Everything about him was seductive—his clean, neat black suits; his icy blue eyes; his Scottish voice that sounded like pure sex; his trimmed beard that gave him a grizzly look. It all made the female demons swoon. He was just irresistible… and it was even more frustrating because he had no interest in any demons. Crowley was completely and totally unattached—single and ready to mingle. But he rejected everyone.

          If Lexi was named Master of the Knights, she would see Crowley daily. _Maybe he’d learn to like me,_ she thought wishfully. The idea was enough to get drunk on. _Crowley… King of Hell. Alexis. Queen of Hell. Sounds so nice… but it won’t happen._ Everyone knew that Crowley was more interested in the humans—the _Winchesters_ —more than Hell and all its demons as of late. There was talk that he even harbored feelings for the older of the brothers, Dean. That was also understandable, though. Dean Winchester was the most attractive man on Earth—the only one that was hotter for Lexi was Crowley. For Faith, Dean Winchester was it. For whatever reason, demons just seemed to love the older Winchester brother. “If Crowley wants Dean, I’ll fight him for him,” Faith had joked once. Lexi had laughed but she knew that Faith was not the only demon would challenge the King of Hell for Dean Winchester’s affection.

          “Come on,” Lexi murmured, her eyes flashing back to brown. “We should go find the Master and speak to him. He wanted to speak with us when we were done sparring.”


	2. Cain Gives His Mark and Ditches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most of these little chapters are kinda short, but hopefully there will be a lot of little, short chapters. :)

          Cain was ancient—the first demon, the firstborn son of Adam and Eve. He was the wisest and the most experienced warrior in Hell. The telltale Mark on his arm proved as much. Lexi and Faith stood before the Master of Knights, their heads held high, shoulders back, and faces blank. Cain faced them, his curly gray hair hanging in his eyes as he observed them. “Ladies,” he said in a hard voice. Even though he tried to sound stern, it held a certain sense of affection. “You two are the best warriors I have ever trained. Your skills surpass even that of Abaddon. Faith, while your skills with knives and bows are impeccable, your sister is more skilled than you in the art of sword fighting and stealth. Do not take his decision as being personal—you are a wonderful Knight, and a pleasure to train. However, for the benefit of Hell, I name Lexi as my successor as the Master of the Knights.”

          Faith dipped her head respectfully. “I did not expect any different, Master. My sister is a wonderful warrior and I do not doubt that she will is the correct choice.” She then stepped back so that Lexi stood alone before Cain.

          “Master…” she whispered, humbled. “I… I cannot express my gratitude.”

          “Then don’t,” Cain replied, his eyes sharpening. “The fate of Hell rests within your hands. It is your duty to protect your fellow demons and serve the King. If the King is in danger, you are the final defense. Your sister is a skilled warrior and it pains me to have to deny her this honor when she is just as worthy of it as you are. Do not fail me, or you will face my wrath—and the King’s. If you make a mistake or fail to do your job correctly, you make me look like a fool for choosing you over Faith. Trust me, that is not something you want to do.”

          Lexi stood up a little straighter. “Yes, Master. I will not let you down, Master.”

          Cain gave her an approving nod. He then drew his blade—the First Blade. The Blade was just as old as Cain, but preserved through the dark powers of Lucifer. The Blade was made out of some animal’s jaw bone. Fossilized teeth were on the blunt side. The jawbone itself was sharpened to the point that it could make clean, surgical cuts. Cain extended his hand and sliced through the flesh with the Blade. Blood began to run along his hand and fingers. Lexi held out her hand as well and allowed Cain to make a slit in hers as well. The two bloody hands clasped together then.

          Faith watched from a safe distance as the Mark on Cain’s arm began to glow. It was bright and warm—like angel light. The veins inside Cain’s arm lit up and bulged beneath his skin. The light moved from the Mark, through Cain’s arm, hand, and then moved onto Lexi’s body. Lexi let out a cry of pain as the Mark of Cain appeared on her right arm, just below the crease of her elbow. It took only seconds to complete, but it felt like an eternity. When it was complete, the two hands wrenched apart. Both cuts had been healed, and now both demons bore the Mark.

          “It is done,” Cain said, breathless. He gave Lexi the First Blade, looking exhausted from the exchange. “Make me proud.”

          Lexi did not even get a chance to respond; Cain had disappeared.


	3. Chapter 3

          “My lord,” Lexi addressed her king with a bow. Women usually curtsied, but Lexi was no woman—far from it. _I am a demon, not a lady. If he wants me to curtsey, I will tell him so_.

          Crowley did not react to her bow. Instead, he sat on his throne, picking at his cuticles. He glanced at her once with disinterested green eyes. “And…? You are? Why should I care?”

          She cleared her throat, trying to hide her own disappointment. “My name is Lexi, my lord. Cain has named me the new Master of the Knights.”

          He sat up a little straighter and studied her then. His eyes ran up and down her body that was still clothed in the rather formfitting armor from her fight with Faith. Briefly, they rested on her bust, then moved down to the ebony scimitar at her side. Then, his eyes glided smoothly back up to her face. “The new Master, eh?” he asked. He smirked, then. “You don’t look like much, love… But if you can’t serve me as a general, then maybe I’ll find other uses for you.”

          Lexi held her tongue. A part of her wanted to scream that he was a sexist pig and should shut up before she wiped that smirk off her face. Another part was secretly intrigued. _Do it, my lord. I dare you._ “I assure you, Cain chose me to replace him with the utmost confidence that I will serve you to the best of my ability. I will not prove him wrong, my lord.”

          “Hmm, yes, well, I fear Master Cain became senile in his old age. He wasn’t fit to be the Master of the Knights, nor should he have been allowed to train anyone. I’m glad he’s gone—one less pain in my ass,” Crowley said, rubbing his temple. “Love, why don’t you do the best thing anyone’s done for me all day and pour me a drink.”

          Lexi obeyed him, albeit feeling more than a little underappreciated. _Did he make Cain do this?_ she wondered. _Did he treat Cain like a servant and make him get the drinks and talk to him like he was a stupid, lowlife crossroads demon?_ She brought him a glass of Scotch and handed it to him. Their fingers brushed briefly and she noticed they were ice-cold. She found that odd but did not question it. Crowley did not thank her, but instead drank the entire glass at once. When it was empty, he let out a satisfied sigh and threw the glass at the wall opposite the throne. The glass shattered upon impact, splintering in every direction. She jumped at the sound and cleared her throat. Lexi waved a hand at the glass, making it reform into the glass it had been just moments before.

          “You should not throw things, my lord,” she said softly before going to retrieve the glass. “You best leave that to me.”

          He did not reply as she went to the glass. She picked it up and brought it over to the bar where the King kept all of his alcohol. Lexi poured herself a shot of Vodka and downed it.

          “Why don’t you share a drink with me, Master of the Knights?” Crowley suggested, rising off his throne. He joined her over by the bar and got himself another Scotch. Lexi did the same, refiling her shot glass with Vodka. Crowley raised his glass toward her, eyebrows raised. “Shall we toast to your success… Mistress?”

          Lexi felt her mouth run dry. The way he said _Mistress_ made her shudder. People were not exaggerating when they compared Crowley’s voice to pure sex. She did not trust herself to speak, so raised her glass to meet his. They clinked together and both demons swallowed the contents.


	4. Enter Our Minor Villain for the Evening

          Working with Crowley was more than a little intimidating, but Lexi was no coward. She was determined to make it work and prove to the King that she was more than capable of holding this position. Each day, Lexi stood next to his throne as the lesser demons came in and told Crowley all of their complaints and or progress reports.

          The usual demons that made up Crowley’s royal council were beyond boring. They drug out their words, sentences, and whatever they were trying to say. Lexi usually leaned against the throne, half asleep. However, as Master, she was required to attend these meetings. She had to know what was going on in Hell as well as protect the King from any unwanted visitors. At first, she was afraid that Crowley would reprimand her for leaning against the throne, but he was half asleep the whole time as well, leaning against his hand.

          The doors of the King’s council rooms shot open, banging off the walls. Lexi bolted upright, grabbing the Blade which hung at her belt. Crowley sat up a little straighter and narrowed his eyes at the visitor. A man strode forward—his hair was short and graying brown. His eyes were a cold brown, but flashed black briefly. “My liege,” the demon said. His voice was high-pitched and raspy, similar to that of Don Vito from _The Godfather_.

          “Alastair,” Crowley greeted him, his eyes still narrowed and cold. “To what do I owe the misfortune?”

          The demon let out a raspy laugh. “I am the Master of Torture, my lord,” he said simply. “Am I not allowed to participate in your council meetings?”

          “It is not customary,” Crowley said. He rose from his throne and descended toward the demon. Lexi followed him dutifully, the Blade clenched tightly in her hand. She stuck close to him. _If this lowlife makes one move toward Crowley, I’ll gut him like a fish,_ she thought determinedly. She had heard stories of Alastair, but had never actually come face to face with the monster. He was the one who tortured and mutilated souls. He was one of the most feared demons in Hell—Cain, Abaddon and Crowley being the only ones who surpassed him. “But what do you want, Alastair? I know you wouldn’t crawl up from the pit unless you really had something to say.”

          Alastair shrugged, walking up through the crowd. Lexi gripped the Blade tighter. “Crowley—”

          “ _My lord,_ ” Lexi corrected him. “You will treat your King with respect.”

          The demon arched an eyebrow, turning his attention to her. “And who is this? Acquired a new shadow, I see. She’s a pretty little thing… I’d love to have the likes of her down in the pits with me.”

          To her surprise, it was Crowley who let out a low growl. “You will do no such thing, Alastair. This is the Master of the Knights—Cain’s own protégé. I’d like to see you try to get your hands on her.” Crowley wore a smug smirk, and looked totally pleased with himself. “Isn’t that right Lexi, darling?”

          Lexi squared her jaw and stared the torturer down. “Right, my lord. Would you like me to escort this lowlife out of your court?”

  
          “Presently.”

          She obeyed, grabbing Alastair by the neck. The demon was surprised by her sudden movements and struggled in vain against her mighty grip. The Mark pulsed on her arm; she felt powerful—more powerful than she’d ever felt. She drug Alastair out of the council chambers and threw him into the hall. “Next time you crawl out of the pit, stay away from this room. The King has no use for you.”

          Alastair let out a huff. He was on his knees on the tile flooring, staring up at her with obsidian eyes. “We’ll just see where I go next time I leave the pit,” he snarled.

          “You caused nothing but trouble today,” she pointed out. “If you had something worth saying to the King, you should have said it instead of antagonizing him. You’ve ruined any chances of speaking to him now, you realize.”

          “Whatever,” he grumbled. “But you can tell the King that he’ll regret treating the Master of Torture like a miserable dog! He’ll get what’s coming to him.”

  
          “And so will you if you don’t shut up and walk away,” Lexi snarled, raising the Blade for emphasis.

          Alastair snorted at her gesture, but walked away nonetheless. He looked back a few times, but offered no further commentary on what had just happened. _Hopefully, he knows better now,_ she thought, but knew it was wishful-thinking. Alastair would be back, that much she knew for certain.


	5. Call Him Crowley, He Says?

          “Did the monster say anything to you?” Crowley asked her that evening over drinks. It became their little tradition to drink together in the evening.

          “Just the usual ‘he’ll pay for this!’ villain talk,” she answered, letting out a small laugh. “Honestly, I expected Alastair to be more… threatening?”

          “Well, you are the Master of the Knights, dear,” he pointed out with a smirk. “I imagine that there is not much that threatens you, if anything at all.”

          _You do._ “Well, there isn’t much,” Lexi admitted softly. She took a sip of her whiskey, savoring the burn in her chest. “But there are a few things.”

          Crowley arched his perfect eyebrows. “Like what? What could frighten you?”

          “Archangels, for one,” she said, smiling. Lexi smiled a little wider as she remembered her human days—her human fears. “And fire.”

          “Fire?” he repeated, smirking. “Lexi—Master of the Knights—is afraid of fire? Doesn’t that mean you should fear Hell then? I mean… Hell is mostly fire and brimstone, you know.”

          Lexi nodded. “Oh, I know. Believe me, I know. I’m just really good at masking my fear.”

          He nodded approvingly. She loved his smile—the way his face wrinkled in pure delight at her words, the way his teeth shone in the low light. “So, what else are you afraid of, love?”

          Lexi’s face fell and she grew serious. “I’m afraid of losing Faith—she’s one of the Knights.”

          Crowley looked a little bewildered by this statement. “Faith? I didn’t realize you… Well… I didn’t think that you were into girls.”

          She blushed a bright shade of crimson. “N-no,” she stuttered. “That’s not—Faith is my best friend. We were friends even back when we were humans… We’ve known each other since we were five-years-old. You know the Winchesters? How they’re a dynamic duo, completely inseparable even in death? That’s Faith and me. We’re basically the female version of the Winchesters, we just aren’t related. When I… Well… I sold my soul because… well… it’s a long story. But Faith tried to get me out of my contract. When she couldn’t, she sold hers too so we would die together… And if we were going to be demons, we were gonna be demons together and kick ass just like we always did.”

          Crowley assessed her for several solid minutes. “You sold your soul?” he asked after a long silence. His voice was softer now—a hum in the darkness that was rising around them. They were in his private chambers now where his large, king-sized bed and his personal bar were. The candles that were the only sources of light were beginning to flicker. Lexi felt her heart hammer in her chest. The King was not even three feet away from her. They both stood by the little bar, leaning against it. She had changed out of her armor and was wearing more casual clothes—black slacks and a matching blazer. Crowley had taken off his traditional black suit jacket. The black dress shirt he wore underneath had the top few buttons undone and its sleeves were rolled up just above his elbows. He looked positively delicious. “Why did you sell your soul, love?” His inquiry was even softer. He decreased the distance between them, his usually cold green eyes no longer seemed so empty or distrustful. Now, they shone with an unspoken invitation—a warmth she was unfamiliar with.

          “Like I said,” she murmured, looking down. Lexi had to look at anywhere but him—she could not risk looking at Crowley’s face. If she did… _If he comes any closer, I’m afraid I might not be able to control myself. I may very well jump on him._ “It’s a long story.”

          “I’ve waited three hundred and fifty-five years to meet you,” he pointed out. She heard his shoes on the tile floor as he took another step closer. He was less than a foot away now. “I think I can sit through a story of yours—honestly, love, I’m fascinated. And if you’re going to say it’s complicated, trust me, I can keep up.”

          Lexi took another sip of her whiskey. The burn provided a much-needed distraction. “Okay, well you know how I said Faith and I are close? Like sister-close?” she asked.

          Crowley nodded. His eyes narrowed, but it was more in concentration than anything else.

          “Well… When we were sixteen… something… happened… We had to go to different high schools and Faith got involved with these really… _wild_ girls. Which, I didn’t mind. Faith didn’t really participate in any of the wild activities. But she was in the car with one of these girls. The girl had had a few drinks, but hadn’t told Faith when she had picked her up. They were driving down the road and… Well… They went _off_ the road and into a tree. The drunk bitch survived… Faith… Faith…”

          Lexi had to pause. It had been so long ago, but the wounds still felt so fresh. “Faith got hurt… really bad.” She remembered walking into the hospital and seeing her best friend—her sister since kindergarten—lying on the bed broken, bloody, and hooked up to a hundred machines to keep her alive. “She was going to die so… I made a deal. I saved her.”

          Crowley was silent, watching her with steady, unreadable eyes.

          “After she woke up… She heard how the doctors were so sure she was as good as dead. And… Faith isn’t stupid—she knows when something is up. She figured it out that something _bad_ had been done to keep her around. It wasn’t her parents or one of her brothers or other friends. She cornered me… And I told her everything.” Lexi had to pause again. She downed the rest of her whiskey. “Faith did all she could to try to get me out of the contract. She did research upon research, contacted hunters, summoned the demon herself… But the deal could not be undone unless I forfeited what I paid for: Faith’s life. Faith told me to just let her die but… How could I? She was my best friend—all I had.

          “So… All of a sudden, Faith stops talking about it. She ignores it like nothing happened. I just… I knew something had happened—she did something. And… And she had. Damn, I almost killed her for it. She sold her soul too. When I confronted her, all she said was that we belonged together… Human, demon—whatever—we were supposed to stick together through thick and thin. And that’s what we’ve been doing ever since.”

          Crowley considered this for a long time. “Well… that’s… I can’t tell if that’s really nice and heart-warming or stupid, to be honest. But it’s clear that you two are very close. I’ve never had… anything like that so I wouldn’t know. But, I’ve seen the Winchesters when one of them gets hurt… they get… very self-sacrificial.”

          Lexi nodded, smiling wearily. “Yeah, that’s usually how it goes. I’d do anything for her, and she would do anything for me. I mean… I know demons aren’t supposed to _care_ or have _feelings_ but… I guess some of our humanity survives the transformation from mortal to demon, even if we don’t always realize it.”

          The King was quiet then, meditating on her words. He backed off from her, she noticed out of the corner of her eye. Crowley refilled his cup and swirled the copper liquid around. “I think it’s time that I retire for the evening,” he said softly. “We’ll talk again tomorrow?”

          She was slightly surprised by this. “But tomorrow, the council isn’t meeting.”

          He smirked. “Oh, I know. I was thinking that maybe you and I could… go up to the human world for a while. I need to get out of Hell for a bit, don’t you?”

          Lexi struggled to contain her surprise and her joy at this invitation. “Of course, my lord. I will follow you wherever you wish me to.”

          Crowley grinned and clinked his glass together with hers. “Splendid.” Lexi turned to leave, but his voice called her back. “Oh, by the way, love? It’s Crowley. Call me Crowley.”


	6. In Which Faith References Wicked

          “YOU’RE GOING ON A DATE WITH CROWLEY?!” Faith squealed like an excited teenager at a One Direction concert. She was jumping up and down, her green eyes alight with joy. “LEXI OH MY GOSH! THE SHIP IS SAILING! THE SHIP IS SAILING!” She danced around her friend, who glared at her all the while. _Faith is lucky no one can hear us,_ Lexi thought bad-temperedly. While she was secretly overjoyed to be able to spend one-on-one time with the King, that didn’t mean she wanted everyone else to know about it. _Maybe telling Faith wasn’t the best idea…_

          “Shh,” Lexi hissed. “Don’t freak out. It is not a date, okay? I’m the Master of the Knights and kinda his personal bodyguard. It makes sense that I would accompany him.”

          “If he wanted protection, he could have taken _anyone_ , but he took _you,_ ” Faith took out with a giggle worthy of a schoolgirl. For a demon, she was not very threatening. At least not while fan-girling over her best friend’s love life. “He _likes_ you.”

          Lexi huffed. She knew better than to try to convince her friend otherwise. “Okay, whatever. You go ahead and believe what you want. I need to get some rest for tomorrow.” She went over to her bed and flopped down on the comfy mattress. Demons didn’t need sleep, per say, but it was an action that most of them enjoyed—it was human. Lexi and Faith shared a room—they always had since coming to Hell. Lexi’s bed was on one side and Faith’s was on the other. Lexi’s entire half of the room was greatly contrasted against her friends. Hers had dark red walls, and her bed was gothic-looking with black sheets. A few band posters hung on her walls since they were allowed to personalize their rooms. Posters for Simple Plan, My Chemical Romance, and Panic! At the Disco were hung around her bed. Lexi’s armoire was made of dark wood and contained mostly serious clothes and armor.

          Faith’s room could not have been more different. Her walls were painted bright orange. She had a writing desk in the corner with her laptop—she enjoyed writing when she wasn’t training with Lexi, and had written several little stories over the years. Her bed was a loft bed and had a bright, soft and fuzzy purple blanket on it. A few stuffed animals that she had acquired for herself were also on her bed. Lexi admired her friend’s ability to be very _human_ —more so than her or any other demon in Hell. The red-haired girl, even though she was well into her twenties, still retained very _girlish_ qualities. She had her fair share of dark clothes and professional clothes, but dresses were her favorite. She had to have at least twenty different dresses that she would wear during the day. It was either a dress or a pair of jeans and a band T-shirt. Faith climbed up onto her bed and smiled at Lexi. “So what are you gonna wear?” she asked. She wore a dress then—a dark blue one that fell to her knees. Her legs dangled over the side of the bed as she stared at Lexi’s inquisitively.

          She heaved a sigh, shooting a glare at the ginger girl. “I don’t know, Faith. Probably a dress suit or something.”

          Her friend made a gagging noise. “Oh god, no. You can’t. Lexi, you need to wear a dress.”

          “I don’t own one,” she snapped, pulling her own laptop onto her bed. She opened the screen and began to try to focus on something else.

          “Well, lucky for you, I own _plenty_ ,” Faith replied proudly.

          “Owning a shit-ton of dresses is not something to be proud of, Faith,” Lexi grumbled.

          “Shhhhhhhhhhh,” Faith chided. She hopped down from her loft bed. She began to hum a tune under her breath. “You. Will. Be. _Popular._ _You’re gonna be popular. I’ll teach you the proper poise when you talk to boys, little ways to flirt and flounce! I’ll show you what shoes to wear, how to fix your hair! Everything it really counts to be popular!_ ”

          Lexi glowered at her. “Faith. This is not the time to start singing the _Wicked_ soundtrack.”

          “Let me have this, Lex! C’mon, when do either of us get any dates? I haven’t had a date since I was human all those years ago. You’re going out to talk to Crowley—that’s like marriage compared to what we usually get!” Faith stated, going over to her armoire and looking throught.

          The other demon rolled her eyes. “You are ridiculous.”

          “You’re gonna wear a dress, tomorrow, Lexi. Whether you like it or not.”

          Lexi sighed and laid back on her bed. _Fuck me._


	7. Sexy Lexi and Nothing Rhymes with Faith

          Against her will, Lexi was forced into wearing a dress—blackmailed really. Being friends for little under a century had its perks. Faith new entirely too much about Lexi, so much so that if they ever stopped being friends, Lexi would very well have to kill her to ensure that the secrets remained hidden. Faith had good intentions, though, and, Lexi had to admit (although she would never tell Faith this) she looked damn good.

          She wore a form-fitting, low-cut, black dress. Her brown hair was not pulled back like usual, but was in loose curls and fell to the middle of her back. Faith had put a little makeup on her, evening out the color of her skin and giving her eyes a smoky, seductive look. Around her neck, Lexi wore a pentagram—the only item on her person that was actually hers. The dress showed off a good bit of chest, the V-neck dipping a little too low for Lexi’s taste but Faith assured her it looked wonderful.

          “If Crowley doesn’t almost jump on you, he’s gay,” Faith told her with a smile once it was finished. “I swear, this is my greatest work yet.”

          “Yeah, yeah,” Lexi chuckled. “Pat yourself on the back later, I have to… go.” Lexi checked the time on the phone before leaving the room. She heard Faith giggling behind her as she struggled to walk in her black heels without falling. Lexi managed though, although she knew that before the night was over, she was going barefoot, date or no date.

          Lexi met Crowley in his private quarters. She knocked on the door, her heart thumping in her chest. It was from both excitement and uncertainty. Would Crowley find her attractive or would he think she was overdoing it? She balled her hands into fists, waiting for him to respond from within. It seemed like an eternity until she heard the words.

          “Come in.”

          She took a deep breath before opening the door. _Keep your head high, back straight, boobs out. Smile, Lex. You always look so salty and unhappy, so don’t or else he might think he’s doing something wrong. Wait until he knows you better before you go being all grumpy._ Faith’s advice echoed her mind. She straightened up, and put on a smile as she stepped into the room. “My lord,” she greeted him. His back was to her, and he was fixing his bowtie in a full-length mirror on the wall.

          He turned toward her. “For the last time, love, I told you to call me—” he cut off before he finished his sentence as he laid eyes on her. Crowley’s green eyes widened significantly and his mouth fell open slightly. Lexi smiled a little wider, putting a hand on her hip. The King of Hell was speechless.

          “You like?” she asked, trying to make her voice sound like a purr instead of its normal sound.

          Crowley’s tongue darted out of his mouth, wetting his lips. “You…” he began, his now shamelessly running up and down her body, devouring her. “You look positively delicious love.”

          Lexi felt her face grow hot with embarrassment. She surveyed him in his black suit and bowtie. “You don’t look too bad yourself… I was worried I had overdressed.”

          “Trust me” he said with a smirk. “You look… perfect.” He took a few more moments to blatantly check her out. “Well, love, shall we go?”

          Lexi approached him, wobbling slightly in her heels. If he noticed, Crowley didn’t let on that he did. He simply offered her his arm before snapping his fingers.

          The couple appeared outside a restaurant. Lexi looked around her, trying to determine where they were. She gave Crowley a curious look. “Where are we?”

          “Pittsburgh, love. I . . . uh . . . may or may not have spoken to that ginger friend of yours. She mentioned that you used to love this place before . . . well, you know.”

          _Faith_ , Lexi thought. _The jerk knew about the whole damn thing . . ._ “So she was involved in this,” Lexi said softly. “It figures.”

          Crowley arched an eyebrow. “Really? Why’s that?”

          Lexi sighed. “Faith... Faith ships us… like hardcore ships us. Hell, she even writes fanfics about us and publishes them on the Internet. I mean, we might be in one right now.”

          “Oh,” he seemed to have an aha moment. “That... that actually explains a lot.”

          The two budding lovers went into the fancy restaurant, but let’s take a break from Lexley or Croxi, I don’t know what their ship name should be. However, we are gonna move onto the “other” story because it’s gonna set things up for the sequel.

          This “other” story involves Faith, the loyal best friend of our leading lady.

          Faith sat in Hell, more specifically on her loft bed. Lexi and Crowley were out on their date and Faith was bored. Even though she was thrilled that one of her ships were sailing, Faith kind of felt left out. “Why should I sit here lonely?” she wondered aloud. “You know what, I’ll have my own night out.”

          She put on a pair of blue jeans, a dark blue flannel, and a pair of combat boots. She made sure that she looked decent before heading up to the human world. Faith went to the nearest bar; if she couldn’t get a date, she _could_ get drunk off her ass. Entering the bar, Faith took a seat and ordered a Jack Daniels. Not even a minute after coming in, someone sat down beside her. “That’s my kind of woman, no prissy drinks, just whiskey.”

          At the sound of the voice, Faith’s head snapped toward it—she knew that deep, gravelly voice. Dean Winchester set beside her. Those fanfiction green shone as thy focused on her. Faith felt her mouth run dry. She knew him all too well—she’d heard stories and seen him from a distance before… but she had never been this close to him. He’d never spoken to her before. _He doesn’t know what I am..._ she realized with a pang in her chest. _If he did, he’d kill me right now._

          “I… I like the burn from it,” she told him, forcing herself to tear her eyes away from his chiseled face.

          “I’m Dean,” he said, waving the bartender over with one hand. “I’d like what the lady’s having.”

          Faith bit her lip. “I’m no lady.” That much was true. She felt sick.

          Dean arched an eyebrow. “I beg to differ, but I’ve been wrong before.” The bartender brought their shots, and Faith downed hers without a moment’s hesitation.

          “I’ll need about five more of those before the night’s over… Probably more,” she told the bartender.

          Dean just grinned and gulped down his. “Definitely my type of woman.”


	8. He Was My Gay Thing

          “So what about you?” Lexi asked. She sat across from Crowley in the dimly lit dining room. Crowley had slipped the hostess a fifty so they could have a somewhat private table in a corner, away from the rest of the guests. Two candles sat in the center of the table, the flames flickering in the slight breeze. Crowley looked positively edible. The candlelight danced across his face, casting shadows over parts and illuminating others. His green eyes shone brighter than anything Lexi had ever known.

          “What about me, darling?” he prompted, arching an eyebrow. He took a sip of wine, smirking at her.

          “How did you become a demon?”

          The King of Hell paused, his eyes darkening significantly. He stared at the fragile flames, losing himself in thought for several moments before responding. “That… is a story for another time, and not one to be shared on a happy evening.”

          Lexi looked down at the table then. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

          He shook his head dismissively. “Don’t be. It’s not your fault.”

          She sipped her wine and tried to change the conversation to something else.

          Meanwhile, Faith was having quite a difficult time with a certain Dean Winchester. She was still at the bar, the hunter seated beside her. He shamelessly admired her bright red curls and kept trying to start up a conversation or buy her drinks. It was taking all of her self-control to not accept any of his advances, and boy did she want to. What girl—demon or otherwise—could resist Dean Winchester? But she couldn’t let this happen. She was a demon. He was a hunter. The last thing she needed was to get involved with him—one-night stand or otherwise. But…

          “Do you like pie?” Dean asked, taking a small sip of his whiskey. If Faith didn’t know better, she would have assumed he was drunk. However, she had been watching how much alcohol the human had ingested and determined that he was definitely sober.

          “I do,” she finally allowed. _Talking can’t hurt._

          His eyes lit up with childish delight. “Awesome, me too. What’s your favorite kind of pie?”

          She considered this for a second. “I like a lot of different kinds… Although I really like pecan and apple.”

          Dean smiled. “Solid choices,” he approved. “Do you like cars?”

          Faith found herself smiling. “I like driving them,” she admitted. “But, uh, I wouldn’t call myself an expert. Under the hood I’m useless.”

          “Well, I got a 1967 Chevrolet Impala out back,” Dean told her, leaning a little closer. “Usually, I don’t trust anyone with my Baby, not even my little brother, Sam… But for you… _Maybe_ I’d make an exception if you wanted to take it for a spin.” His lips were against her ear by the end of his proposal. Faith’s heart was hammering in her chest and her mouth went dry.

          _Resist, Faith. Resist his masculine charms._

          “If you want,” he continued to whisper, his voice low and husky. “You could take me for a spin too. Save an Impala, ride a Winchester.”

          For a moment, Faith was concerned that her face had caught on fire. The amount of heat that rushed to her skin was unbelievable. She cleared her throat quickly, but ended up coughing. “I… um…” Faith pulled away a little bit and looked over at Dean. He was still very close to her face, and now he was smirking at her speechlessness. _Oh damn it._ “You know what… Sure. Let’s get out of here.”

          While Faith went to ride her first Winchester, Lexi and Crowley were finishing up their dinner. Lexi had just finished off her steak and was wiping her mouth on a napkin. Faith had made sure to remind her to practice her manors. Crowley, who had eaten halibut, had just drunk the last of his wine. “I must say, this was the best meal I’ve had in a while,” Crowley confessed with a grin.

          Lexi nodded. “I miss Pittsburgh. They have the best food, I swear.”

          His smile widened. “So, how about some dessert?”

          _I know what I want for dessert,_ she thought mischievously. “Sure. Do you think they have pie? I know it’s a fancy restaurant but still… pie.”           Crowley rolled his eyes. “You sound like Squirrel.”

          Lexi looked at him, perplexed. “Squirrel?”

          “Dean Winchester,” Crowley explained. “He and I used to… well… He was my… We had a bromance.”

          “Oh.”

          Crowley chuckled. “It was kind of stupid—a Winchester and a demon rolling together. It would never work, friends or otherwise. But, hey, it’s done now. I have a new, more appropriate companion,” he stated, looking at Lexi with a happy expression. “But I wonder… what is Dean Winchester doing now?”

          Well, if only they knew.


	9. Things Get Real

          Faith awoke feeling the body heat of someone else, which never happens. She bolted upright only to find that she was naked. Not only that, but she was on top of a male human. And she was in the spacious backseat of a car. Memories from the previous night hit her and she felt her stomach solidify into a hard lump. It wasn’t that they weren’t pleasant thoughts, but she knew that whatever aftermath ensued, it wasn’t going to be pleasant for anyone.

          Dean was still asleep. He laid on his back, his head turned toward the back of the seat. The sunlight shone through the windows of the Impala, casting a golden sheen on his tanned skin. He looked like a Greek god with his spikey, blond hair and his bright skin. Faith couldn’t help but stare at him dreamily. _If I weren’t a demon, I’d never want to leave his side._

          A part of Faith wanted to quietly get out of the car and leave Dean forever. It’d be wise if she did, and Dean would be better off. But another part—the selfish one—wanted her to stay. So she did.

          Dean woke up not even a half hour later. His emerald eyes slowly opened and landed on her. When he saw that she was there, his lips spread in a wide, lazy grin. “Hey sweetheart,” he said, sounding more than pleased.

          “Hi, Dean,” she answered, shyly. Faith wanted to lean down and kiss those full lips of his. _Well… it’s not like I can go to hell again,_ she thought. So she obeyed her inner wishes and pressed her lips softly to his.

          Dean kissed her back slowly, his hand reaching up and tangling in her hair. Faith let out a soft moan, shifting so she was more comfortable. They kissed like this for several minutes before Dean finally broke away.

          “I hate to say this, but I gotta get back to my little brother,” he said, almost sheepishly. “Sammy’s probably wondering where I am.”

          Faith let him up, moving over to the other side of the Impala’s giant backseat. She began to dress in silence, unable to control the ache in her chest. She didn’t want to leave. She wanted to tell him what she was. She wanted him to know the truth. “Dean…” she said, after dressing completely. The hunter looked over at her expectantly while pulling on his leather jacket.

          “Yeah… uh… Faith, right?”

          She felt heat rush to her cheeks like she was a bashful school girl. “Yeah, it’s Faith… look… I gotta tell you something. But… please promise not to… freak, okay?”

          Dean had her full attention now and was watching her with wary eyes. Faith took a deep breath and then let it out with a shudder. Her eyes flashed black. She heard Dean let out a horrified gasp and she felt like she’d been stabbed in the gut. She had to check just to make sure he hadn’t actually knifed her. Her eyes went back to normal and she risked a glance at him.

          The Winchester was staring at her, his eyes hard and cold now. “Who are you really? What poor girl are you possessing?”

          “This is my body,” Faith insisted. “It’s actually mine. I’m not an ordinary demon, Dean Winchester. I’m a Knight of Hell.”

          He let out a sharp breath. He was glaring at her now. “Give me _one_ good reason why I don’t kill you right now.”

          She didn’t say a word.

          She knew what she was.

          She knew there was no good reason.

          When she didn’t answer, Dean let out a small sigh before waving her toward the door. “Just… get out of here before I do kill you.”

          Faith looked at the floor of the Impala, a lump forming in her throat. “I’m sorry,” she choked out quietly before transporting herself back to Hell.


	10. Lexi Leads Hell, Faith's in a Sock Drawer, and Crowley's Blackmailed

          Lexi made her way toward the throne room. It had been a week since her date with Crowley. And, since that date, she found herself more alone than ever. Crowley was swamped with work and Faith had isolated herself by everyone. Crowley had left her in charge of Hell while he went up to the human world to speak with the Winchesters about some angel situation. At least Lexi knew where he was and why he couldn’t be with her. Faith as a mystery. _I wonder what happened to her… It couldn’t have been good. I’ve never seen her like this before._

          She entered the throne room, walking past the demons that were lined up. Crowley had only been gone for three days, but that didn’t stop Lexi from enjoying her time as the top dog. She went up to the throne and sat down in Crowley’s spot. Once she had been seated, the other demons on the council sat as well. Lexi found herself smiling a little. _Long live the Queen… at least until the King returns._

          Speaking of the King, we’re going to take this part to follow Crowley because what he’s doing is far more interesting than Lexi listening to productivity reports or Faith who is hiding in her sock drawer in a puddle of shame and self-hatred.

          Crowley was visiting the Winchesters in their home at the bunker. When he arrived, after being summoned, the first thing he noticed was that Dean did not look well. He looked like he hadn’t slept for days. Gray bags were under his eyes and he looked more than a little cranky. The moose, as always, was next to his brother wearing is signature bitchface. As usual, Dean had been the one who had called Crowley, and it seemed like Winchester Jumbo-Size was not eager to associate with a demon for the thousandth time.

          “Hello boys,” he greeted the brothers with a grin. “Whatever can I do for you?”

          “Cut the crap, Crowley,” Dean growled. “First of all, why did you send a demon after me?”

          That caught him by surprise. He arched a questioning eyebrow. “Demon?” he repeated. “What demon?”

          “Don’t play dumb,” Sam snapped with a piercing glare. “You sent that demon to seduce Dean and get information out of him, didn’t you?”

          Crowley stared at the brothers. “I can’t say that I did,” he answered shortly. “If I needed to get information from Dean, I’d call him up and ask him. It’s not like we aren’t on speaking terms!”

          “She was a Knight of Hell, Crowley,” Dean hissed. “Do you honestly expect me to believe I just _ran into_ a Knight of Hell at a bar and then she ended up getting in my car with me?!”

          That made Crowley pause. There were only two Knights of Hell left since Cain retired—Lexi and Faith. For a moment, he felt as though he’d been punched in the chest and had all the air knocked out of him. He thought of Lexi sitting next to Dean Winchester, flirting with him, getting in the Impala with him, kissing him, touching him… Crowley’s hands clenched into fists and he was overcome with the sudden urge to sock Dean Winchester in the jaw. “What did this Knight look like?” he asked, trying to keep his voice level.

          Dean huffed, as though the question was too much trouble to answer. A strange look flashed in his eyes. For a moment, Crowley thought he almost looked regretful… There was a distant longing in his evergreen eyes, as if he secretly wished that this demon had never left. “She said her name was Faith—long, curly red hair… green eyes… kinda busty.”

          Crowley let out a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. “I know her… If she decided to go after you, I had no knowledge of it… But she isn’t that bad of a demon, really. Did she attack you?”

          The older Winchester shifted his feet awkwardly. He was looking anywhere but at him. “Well… no.”

          “Did she threaten you?”

          “Um… no.”

          “What _did_ she do?” Crowley demanded, getting impatient. “Other than having sex with you, because that is more than a little obvious.”

          Dean flushed a little and studied the floor. “She just… showed me her black eyes… and then… she…” He took a long pause, his eyes glazing over as he became lost in thought. “She apologized.”

          Crowley rolled his eyes. “Look, I wasn’t behind it, and, frankly, I don’t care what you or my demons do in their free time. If they want to fuck the Winchesters, then it’s their funeral, but I’m not gonna tell them no if they have a deathwish. Now, can we _please_ get on with why I’m really here?”

          The brothers exchanged a glance before Sam took a step forward. “We… may or may not need your help… but you need to be aware of this. The angels have fallen.”

          Crowley needed to take a moment to process this. “Fallen?”

          Sam nodded.

          “ _All of them?_ ”

          Sam nodded again.

          Crowley looked away, his mind racing. “And what did you want me to do about that? I’m the King of Hell—getting the angels back into Heaven is not in my job description.”

          “But it does affect you,” Sam pointed out. “With angels roaming the Earth, it is more likely that they’ll run into demons or maybe go after Hell.”

          “I think that they’ll be more preoccupied with getting back into Heaven first,” Crowley replied. “Look… If I find out anything, I’ll let you know, okay?” He then looked between the two brothers, realizing a familiar face was missing. “By the way, why aren’t you having this conversation with your little pet angel? Did Castiel finally decide to ditch you two chuckle-heads?”

          Dean pursed his lips into a thin line. Crowley’s comments clearly did not set well with him, and there was a fury brewing in his eyes. Despite Dean’s obvious reaction, Sam was the one who answered. “We… don’t know where Castiel is. After the fall, we’ve had no way of contacting him. We… we were actually hoping that you could find him.”

          Crowley let out an exasperated sigh. “Seriously?” he growled. “I’m not your errand boy.”

          “If you help us find Cas… we’ll help you with your Alastair problem.”

          He arched an eyebrow. “Alastair problem? What Alastair problem?”

          “You don’t know?” Dean asked, a smug smirk spreading across his face. “Well, should we tell him now, Sammy, or make him find Cas first?”

          Crowley glared daggers at both brothers. “Fine. I’ll find your damn angel.”


	11. FAE FAE COME OUT OF THE CLOSET BEFORE YOU FIND NARNIA

          “Faith?” Lexi’s voice came from out in the hall. She knocked on the door of the closet where Faith had started to hide in. When her ginger friend didn’t answer, she knocked again. “Fae Fae,” she called, using the nicknames they’d had since high school. Lexi huffed an irritated sigh. “Fae Fae, come out of the closet already. You go any deeper and you’ll find Finn and Poe Dameron.”

          The _Star Wars_ comment earned a faint laugh from the other side of the door. The fact that she had succeeded at least a little in making her friend feel better made Lexi beam. “Fae Fae, come on,” Lexi groaned teasingly. She slid onto the floor, her back leaning against the door. “I’m so lonely out here. The councils are so boring.” Lexi leaned her head against the door, listening intently for signs of life within. “Crowley has been gone for like a week now. Maybe he’s dead. I don’t want him to be dead. He’s really cute. And his voice is… like… pure sex.”

          Another giggle came from behind the door.

          “Fae Fae,” she said, turning to face the door now. She crossed her legs in her lap, staring at the door as if she were expecting it to open. “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”

          The door opened an inch and green eye peeked out. “You can’t tell anyone,” Faith whispered. Lexi noticed that she had bags under her eyes and her eyes were a little red from crying.

          “Who am I going to tell?” Lexi joked. “You’re my only friend.”

          Faith cracked a weak smile. “I… I’m in love.”

          Lexi overreacted on purpose, trying to make her best friend smile again. She let out an animalistic hiss of distaste. “NO! DON’T WORRY FAE FAE! I’LL SAVE YOU FROM YOUR FEELINGS!”

          The ginger rolled her eyes. “I’m not upset about being in love, silly.”

          “Oh.”

          “You see… It’s the person I’m in love with… I’m fairly certain he hates me and wants to kill me,” Faith confessed.

          Lexi arched her eyebrows. “Fae Fae, there are _lots_ of people who want to kill you. Me included… sometimes. But if anyone’s going to kill you, it’s going to be me, meaning I’ll protect you from all other competition!”

          Faith smiled again, shaking her head at her friend’s comment. “No, I mean… He’s a hunter.”

          The Master of the Knights became suddenly very serious. “Oh.”

          “Yeah.”

          Biting her lip, Lexi looked up at her friend, realizing now that her life could be in danger. “Does he know… what you are?”

          Faith closed her eyes and nodded.

          “Damn it,” Lexi growled. “Who is he?”

          She opened her eyes, smiling with guilt. “Well… _you see…_ ”

          “Oh Lucifer, I don’t like the way you said that.

          “He… may or may not be… Dean Winchester,” Faith mumbled the last part, almost unintelligible. But Lexi knew her friend too well. She knew how to decode her friend’s rushed words and she didn’t miss a beat.

          “ _Dean. Winchester._ ”

          “Yeah…”

          “DEAN. WINCHESTER?!”

          “Yeah…”

          Lexi face-palmed. “Fae Fae… I swear… Why do you always fall for like… the _worst_ guys?”

          “Dean isn’t a bad guy,” Faith defended. “He’s actually really nice… He’s just… a hunter.”

          “True, but you also like the Lannisters and the Boltons from Game of Thrones,” Lexi pointed out.

          Faith shook her head. “I don’t _like_ them. I admire their… ability to get what they want. And they aren’t _bad-looking._ ”

          Lexi got off the floor, extending her hand to her friend. “Come on, Fae Fae. You need to get out of here for a little while. Why don’t we go up to the human world?”

          The ginger looked hesitant, her eyes clouding over. “I don’t know…”

          “Well you don’t have a choice,” Lexi joked, grabbing onto her hand and pulling her up. Moments later, the two demons disappeared.

          Faith staggered when they appeared on the streets of Los Angeles, California. She looked around for a few moments before realizing where Lexi had taken her. “LA?” she asked, giving her friend a curious look. “The City of Angels?”

          Lexi grinned. “Why not? Out of the frying pan and into the fire.”

          “Did you just quote _The Hobbit_?” Faith asked with a proud grin. She had taught her friend well in the ways of the nerd.

          “Maybe, now come on. Let’s raise some hell in the City of Angels!”


	12. Girlfriends to the Rescue

          The two Knights of Hell were not the only demons in LA that night. Crowley found himself there as well, with the Winchester brothers. They were tracking Castiel, who had fallen with the other angels. The King of Hell had found trace of the blue-eyed angel here and was leading the Winchester brothers to him. Crowley would never say it, but he didn’t exactly appreciate being treated like a bloodhound on a trail.

          “Are we almost there?” Dean growled as they made their way toward an old, abandoned warehouse that wasn’t too far from where Faith and Lexi had appeared. None of the men had any idea the Knights were here, and continued on toward the warehouse.

          “It’s up ahead,” Crowley grumbled under his breath. He walked toward the warehouse, despising the squelching in his left shoe; he’d stepped in a puddle of water earlier and now his expensive dress shoe was virtually ruined. All for the friggin’ Winchesters.

          They weren’t one hundred feet from the warehouse when they heard a low-pitched scream from within. Dean took off at a run. “CAS!” he shouted, pulling the angel blade he kept from his leather jacket. Sam went after his brother, drawing the demon killing knife. Crowley sighed before jogging after the brothers, taking out his own angel blade he’d stolen.

          The Winchesters and Crowley were not the only ones to hear the scream. Faith and Lexi heard it too. The two demons paused, looking around for a moment before determining the direction it had come from. “Should we check it out?” Faith asked, uncertain.

          Lexi shrugged. “I don’t really think it’s important. Probably nothing.”

          Faith wasn’t so sure that it _was_ nothing. When Lexi turned her back, Faith remained, listening closely. Another scream came, but this one wasn’t one of pain like before, but of panic. The worst part—the part that made her stomach solidify into a heavy block of ice—was that she recognized it.

          “SAM!”

          _Dean._

          She was running before she even knew what was happening. She heard Lexi shouting behind her, but ignored it. Faith sprinted toward an old, abandoned warehouse. She heard loud crashes and bangs coming from within. Faith drew her blade, a dagger made of obsidian, and burst through the doors.

          The warehouse was dimly lit by overhanging lights that swayed back and forth. A man was standing in the center, strung up by his arms. He had raven hair and wore a loose-fitting, tan trench coat. There were five others in the warehouse. She saw Dean crouching next to a large, unconscious man on the floor. Two strangers were fighting the last person she ever expected to see there: Crowley.

          Faith watched as her King struggled to find off both of the angels—she knew they were angels for she could faintly see their wings behind them. Before she even got a change to think, Lexi was there, the First Blade in hand. She charged toward the two angels, catching them off guard. Within moments, the Blade was buried in the side of one of them. Faith watched as the celestial being’s eyes lit up. Her mouth fell open as she glimpsed the very beautiful creature’s true form for just a moment, wings and all. It was over in three seconds, the body slumping to the floor.

          Faith made her way over to the tied man. Gently, she touched his face to make sure he was still alive. At the contact, his eyes opened. Faith was struck breathless at hos _blue_ they were—bluer than anything Faith had seen before. Using her knife, she cut him down. The man fell against her, too weak to stand on his own. She used her inhuman strength to keep him upright and whispered to him. “It’s alright,” she soothed, seeing the blood on his white shirt and the cuts on his hands and neck. “You’re safe now.”

          Meanwhile, Lexi took care of the second angel flawlessly. The Master of the Knights had been filled with an unparalleled rage when she saw the two angels attacking Crowley. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d killed. The Mark was hungrier than she thought, and it savored the blood. When both angels were taken care of, she turned toward her King. Crowley was just smirking at her, those gray-green eyes of his sparkling a little. “My, my, you’re full of surprises, aren’t you, love?”

          “You!”

          The cry came from the lips of Dean Winchester. He was on his feet now, not straying too far from his brother’s side, but looking Faith. Lexi’s grip on the Blade tightened—hunter or no hunter, Winchester or no Winchester, if he hurt Faith, she would kill him. Faith was supporting an injured man in a trench coat, her arm around him to keep him upright.

          “We can argue later,” she hissed at the human. “This man needs help! He needs to go to hospital or something!”

          “Oh, no need for that,” Crowley said, walking over to stand between the two feuding, former lovers. With a snap of his fingers, the wounds on the man’s body healed and he stood up a little straighter. He looked between Faith and Crowley before nodding at the King curtly.

          “Thank you,” he said to Faith. The first thing Lexi noticed was how deep his voice was. It sounded like velvet.

          Faith shrugged, stepping away from him a little. Lexi kept one eye on Dean and one eye on her best friend, ready to rush forward if necessary. Slowly, she approached them, still holding onto the Blade tightly.

          “Well,” Crowley said with a smirk, looking between Faith and Dean. “I see you two know each other. Is there something you’d like to tell me, Faith?”

          The ginger winced. “It… It was a mistake, Your Grace. It won’t happen again, I assure you.”

          Dean arched an eyebrow, his face twisting with a mixture of pain and rage. “What? So now you’re ashamed of me?”

          She looked at the hunter sharply. “You made it _quite_ clear that _you_ were ashamed of _me_ ,” she growled.

          The man in the trench coat watched the exchange, clearly perplexed. “You know her, Dean?” he asked.

          “Cas, this is…” he paused, looking Faith up and down. “Faith. She’s a Knight of Hell.”

          Cas’s eyes widened in surprise. “What?” he asked, looking at the Faith with new eyes. “But—” He looked toward Lexi. “She’s one too?”

          Crowley nodded.

          “I never would have guessed,” Cas said, looking trouble now. Eventually, his eyes rested on Faith again. “This one was very kind to me.”

          Crowley cocked his head to the side. “My demons are… too… polite?”

          “Yeah, well, polite or not, they’re still demons,” Dean pointed out.

          Lexi saw Faith wince. She resisted the urge to cut out Dean’s entrails and shove them down his throat. She let out a low, demonic growl, which earned a look of disgust from the Winchester. “Leave my sister alone!” she snarled, stepping right up to him.

          “Lex, don’t,” Faith murmured, grabbing onto her arm.

          Lexi jerked out of her grip. She looked Dean right in the eyes, her face right in his. “She is my best friend, you dick. For the last week, she has been locked up in her closet crying over you! You don’t even deserve it, you asshole. She might not want me to, but I swear if you hurt her again, then I _will_ slit your throat and rip out your larynx. Got it?”

          Faith hissed. “Lex, just leave him alone! He’s not worth it, okay?” Lexi glanced at her friend, knowing Faith didn’t want her to get hurt on her behalf. “Just back off.”

          She sighed and looked back at Dean. She looked into his green eyes and saw only shock and even a little bit of bewilderment. Lexi backed down, but the anger didn’t subside. Her arm pulsed where the Mark of Cain was glowing brightly. She only took a step back and continued to glare at Dean.

          “Love,” Crowley’s gentle voice came from behind her. She looked over her shoulder at him to see the wariness in his eyes. “It’s alright, let the human be.”

          Lexi forced herself to put the Blade away then. The moment it left her hands, the Mark stopped glowing and she felt significantly better. She looked between Faith and Crowley, the two most important people in her life and let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding.

          “I believe we’re done here, boys,” Crowley said with a fake smile before snapping his fingers, taking himself and his two Knights back to Hell where they belonged.


	13. Call Him Crowley Part 2, Faith and Dean Talk About Their Feelings

          Lexi stood in Crowley’s chambers, leaning against the wall next to the door. Crowley stood across from her, his face meditative as he swirled whiskey around in his glass. Every now and then, his eyes met hers and she would look at anything but him afterwards. “Lexi,” Crowley finally said in a hushed voice. “How are you feeling?”

          She shrugged, eyes running down to rest on the Mark. “Better now.” She did feel better. Killing those two angels had felt like a release—like a great pressure in her chest finally went away. But she couldn’t stop thinking about the rage she felt at Dean Winchester. She almost killed him—she was so close to doing it too. If Crowley and Faith hadn’t been there…

          “Are you sure?” he inquired, setting his drink down. Crowley crossed the room toward her, his eyes examining her closely. Lexi shuddered under his sharp gaze, her breath hitching. When he was less than a foot away from her, Lexi was certain her heart was going to beat right out of her chest.

          She was beyond speech, getting lost in those eyes of his. All Lexi could do was nod her head.

          Crowley arched a single eyebrow before sighing. He leaned against the wall, his arms resting on each side of her head, trapping her. “Good,” he said in a soft, husky voice. “Because I need you to be okay. I’ve… grown rather fond of you, love.”

          This was not happening.

          This could not be happening.

          “I’ve grown quite fond of you too, Your Grace.”

          He grinned a little, leaning in towards her. His face was less than an inch from hers. “Call me Crowley.” That’s when their lips met.

          Lexi was not the only demon getting a little action that night. Faith was just hanging out in her room, minding her own business and wallowing in self-loathing when she found herself rudely summoned.

          She appeared in a small, cement room. A demon trap was painted on the floor, to her great aggravation. A wooden door was directly across from her and was the only way out of the small room. Between Faith and door stood a familiar face. “Dean,” she said in a tight voice. “You could’ve called, you know.”

          His jaw locked and his eyes narrowed dangerously. For a few minutes, he didn’t say anything, just stared at her.

          Faith’s patience wore thin. “Well? What do you want? Why did you call me here? Just to stare at me?”

          “What are you?” Dean asked in a low voice.

          She rolled her eyes. “We’ve been over this.” Her eyes flashed to obsidian. “I’m a demon. I’m a Knight of Hell. I’m one of the most dangerous motherfuckers you’ve ever seen.”

          He shook his head. “No… No, you’re different from other demons.”

          Faith’s eyes returned to their normal emerald. “Oh?”

          “You saved Cas. You helped him,” Dean pointed out.

          She shrugged. “Maybe I just remember what it’s like to be human. My friendship with Lexi keeps me grounded.”

          Dean didn’t answer.

          Faith let out a sigh. “Will you let me go now? I really have things to—”

          She was cut off when Dean was suddenly _right in front of her_. His lips crashed against hers, an unspoken need lurking behind them. A part of her wanted to shove him away, but another part—the more dominant one—just wanted to melt into him. She ended up doing the latter, a small moan escaping her lips. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her lips moved wildly against his. Dean picked her up, hitching her legs around his waist.

          “The trap,” Faith breathed between heated kisses.

          Dean kissed along her jawline then, causing Faith to throw her head back with pleasure. Using his foot, Dean scuffed at the floor with his boot until the line broke. The moment she was free, Dean carried her off into the deep recesses of the bunker where Sam and Cas wouldn’t hear them.


	14. Minor Villain Surfaces, Main Villain Enters Stage Abaddon

          While Lexi and Crowley were making out and Faith and Dean were getting it on, Alastair was working out a plan. He stood underneath a streetlight in Toledo, Ohio. He looked around, waiting for the person he was meant to meet. The chilly autumn wind blew against the coat he wore, coming down off the lake. He shivered a little before leaning against the lamp post.

          “Alastair,” a female voice purred from the darkness. A red-haired woman entered the bubble of warm light. Her eyes were green and she didn’t look too different from Faith, the Knight of Hell. However, she was older and bore a more wicked look. She grinned, pearly white teeth glinting. “You called?”

          He stood up straighter, nodding. “I need your help, Abaddon,” he said. “I have… a problem with two other Knights of Hell.”

          She arched an eyebrow, shifting her weight to one side. “Knights? There are no more Knights, Alastair. Cain killed them all… except me,” she said with a sly smile.

          Alastair shook his head. “He trained more at the King’s command.”

          “The King’s?” she inquired. “What King? Azazel is dead—killed by Dean Winchester.”

          He smiled ruefully. “You have been gone a long time, Mistress,” he said, shaking his head. “There is a new King, Crowley.”

          “Crowley?” she repeated incredulously. “The King of the Crossroads? Is now the King of Hell? Tell me you’re joking.”

          Alastair shook his head.

          “Well,” she huffed, tossing her long, ginger locks over her shoulder. “I think it’s time for a regime change. I’ll take care of these Knights, Alastair. And when I drive my blade through Crowley’s heart and take the throne for myself, I will make sure that you are at my side.”

          He smiled. “That’s all I ask, Mistress.”

          “Well then, let’s get to work, shall we?”


	15. We Need More Knights, Damn It

          “Here,” Dean said, handing Faith a slip of paper. She took it hesitantly after fastening her bra. When she looked up at him questioningly, he just shrugged. “Give me a call if you ever want to… see me… Or if you need anything.”

          Faith felt a flush of heat run to her cheeks. She looked down sheepishly. Pulling her shirt over her head, she got the notepad off Dean’s dresser and scribbled down her own number. When she was done, she gave the human a mischievous smile. “I’ll come see you, alright,” she said softly. “But next time, buy me dinner first.”

          Dean grinned like a love-struck fool and gave her ass a small slap. “If you insist.”

          She smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek before going back to Hell to tell Lexi all about it.

          Lexi was not in their room, however. Instead, she was what she and Faith called the training room. It was where they had been sparring before Lexi had been named Master of the Knights. She slashed and hacked at mannequins until her limps ached and the Mark on her arm burned like wildfire. When she was done, she was covered in sweat and panting.

          The kiss the night before had made her heart soar. She’d never been happier, but when she woke the next morning, all she wanted to do was fight. The Mark was almost like it was alive beneath her skin, pulling and tugging her arm toward the Blade. It wanted blood. It wanted death. She needed to kill again. But she couldn’t just go killing at random. _I have to control it,_ she told herself. Cain managed to suppress the urge for years and use it only when he needed to. _That’s what I need to do. I need to learn how control it._

          Crowley found her just as she was finishing up her training for the day. He lurked in the shadows, watching her form and her ferocity. When she was finished, he approached. “Your form is almost perfect,” he commented. “You’re a brilliant fighter, love.”

          She spun around to face him, her shoulders straightening a little. Lexi dipped her head before holding it high. “Thank you, Your Grace.”

          He frowned. “How many times have I told you to call me Crowley?” he asked, striding toward her. Lexi’s breath hitched when he took her chin between his thumb and his pointer finger. “If you really want to call me titles, do it in the bedroom, love.”

          Lexi felt like her entire body was on fire. Her mouth ran dry, and all she could do was stand here, blinking at him.

          Crowley was grinning like a Cheshire cat, clearly pleased at having flustered her. He pressed a kiss to her lips before pulling away as though it never happened. “Since Alastair is… being a pain in my ass, to put it frankly, I think it’s time train some new Knights of Hell—just in case. If he brings an army to our doorstep, we’ll need capable fighters to respond.”

          Lexi was still reeling from the physical contact, but managed to form words this time. “Did you have anyone in mind?”

          He nodded. “Faith is with them now.” Crowley took Lexi’s hand and in the next moment, they were in a large clearing in the middle of a forested area. The little glade was empty except for the two women sparring in the center. Faith stood on the side opposite of Lexi and Crowley, her eyes trained on the two women. Lexi smiled a little; her friend was a goofball at times, and very girly at others, but it would be unwise to ever underestimate her. Faith was one of the smartest people Lexi knew and was the only fighter Lexi ever worked with that almost matched her blow for blow. All Knights of Hell were beyond fierce, no matter what their physical appearance was. Like the archangels of Heaven, they were absolute and Hell’s most terrifying weapon.

          Lexi then turned her attention to the two women. They could not have been more different, she noticed immediately. One was small and lithe. She struck with grace and efficiency and was virtually silent with every stroke. The only sound that came from her was that of her blade clanging against her opponent. She had long, black hair that was pulled back in a tight bun. She was the epitome of grace. Her opponent… was not.

          The other woman was a great deal larger than the first. She had a buzz cut, her dark hair closed to her head. She was almost a foot taller than the first woman and was a great deal clumsier. However, she made up for her ungainliness with brute strength. She was muscular and her hits were so powerful they staggered the other woman more often than not. Her weapon of choice was also worthy of mention. The first had a smaller, metal blade that could make quick, efficient jabs. The second, larger woman had a katana… not any katana, but the blade was rainbow colors. Lexi stared at it in disbelief for a moment before shaking her head. _Whatever floats her boat. If she can fight, she can wear a bikini and a cowboy hat for all I care_.

          “Well?” Crowley asked, shooting her a sideways glance. “What do you think?”           Their form was good and they both seemed competent with fighting, even if the larger one lacked the usual finesse. Lexi nodded approvingly. “I can work with them.” She stepped forward, taking a deep breath and trying to remember how Cain used to train them—how he spoke to them. She cleared his throat and raised her voice. “Recruits! Fall in line!” she shouted.

          Both women immediately ceased and sheathed their blades. They stood side-by-side before Lexi, their backs straight and heads high. Faith made her way over to her, nodding at her friend. “They aren’t terrible,” she whispered to her friend. “Not good, but not terrible. The smaller one has a lot of potential. Rainbow-blade might be harder.”

          “No matter,” Lexi said, shaking her head. “We need them.” She walked up to the larger woman first, looking her up and down. “What do they call you?”

          “Dana, Mistress,” the woman replied, looking straight ahead and avoiding Lexi’s hard, green gaze. Her voice was loud, and a little rough but not unpleasant.

          Lexi narrowed her eyes before looking at the smaller one. “And you?”

          “Victoria,” she replied in a small, smooth voice. “My friends call me Tori, if you would prefer.”

          “Dana, Victoria,” Lexi said, takin a step back to stand next to Faith. “You both know me. By now, you probably know her too. You have been chosen by the King to train as Knights. You will either train under us and become the most powerful weapons Hell has, or you will fail. And I will personally make sure that you never fight again. Either way, welcome to Hell, girls.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys I met Mark Sheppard and Misha Collins. Ruth Connell liked my tweet. And Rob Benedict looked at me and waved. My life is complete.


	16. Discount Heroine Dies

          Lexi worked the two girls so hard she was sure their vessels ached and they were demoralized by nightfall. Crowley left halfway through the first training session but Faith stayed, giving advice to the girls. Lexi knew that the two recruits preferred Faith as a teacher since she was much gentler and had more patience. At the first mistake, Lexi would be shouting out their faults and would make them stop and try again. Faith was slower to anger, but when she did get pissed off, it was something to fear. Even Lexi was cowed by Faith’s anger when she exploded. Luckily for the girls, Faith held her anger in the first day.

          “I think that’s enough for today. If you think you can handle the rest of the training, show up here bright and early tomorrow morning,” Lexi instructed, looking over the two recruits.

          “I don’t think so,” a new voice came from the trees. Lexi’s head snapped up and her hand flew to the Blade. Faith had already drawn her weapon, a demonic growl ripping rom her chest.

          “Abaddon,” she snarled. The voice was recognizable—one Lexi would never forget.

          The red-haired demon stepped into the clearing, a sly grin spread across her face. Faith let out an animalistic hiss, stepping in front of Dana and Victoria. “Back off, Abaddon. You haven’t been one of the Knights for centuries!”

          Abaddon smiled sweetly. “Just because I haven’t been one for a while doesn’t mean that I’m any weaker than you are.” Her eyes then drifted over and landed on Lexi. “So he gave the Blade to you? I guess you’re my competition then.”

          “Stand down, Abaddon,” Lexi commanded in the most domineering voice she could muster. “There are four of us and one of you.”

          “Correction, two of you. I could obliterate these two ‘recruits’ of yours,” she said with a chuckle. She took another brazen step forward, earning another growl from Faith.

          The two gingers stared each other down. It was as though they were playing a game of Chicken to see who would move first. Faith was never one to be indecisive for long and sent her knife flying toward the older woman. Abaddon ducked out of the way, Faith’s knife sticking in the tree on the opposite side of the clearing. Dana charged forward with a loud battle-cry, her katana slashing, hoping to connect with flesh. Abaddon met the recruit blow for blow and sent her flying with the wave of her hand. She pinned Dana to a tree with her powers. Lexi rushed forward, the Mark burning. Blood roared in her ears as she brought the Blade down on Abaddon. If the latter hadn’t stopped the blow, the Blade would have sliced off the demon’s arm. Lexi drove Abaddon back, their blades meeting with loud clangs.

          Faith joined the fight less than a minute later, having retrieved her knife from the tree. The two experienced Knights worked like a flawless team to get Abaddon as far from the recruits as possible. It worked well until Abaddon caught on to their tactic. She went for Faith first—the demon-killing blade slashing dangerously close to Faith’s body.

          Then, Lexi’s world changed forever.

          Abaddon’s blade found its Mark—piercing Faith’s abdomen, the tip coming out on the other side of her body.


	17. Dean Winchester's In Hell 'Cause His Girlfriend's Dead

          Dean Winchester was in Hell… again. By now he was used to it. Although, he had to admit that he wasn’t expecting to suddenly be teleported there in the middle of sharing a beer with Sam and Cas. He looked around to see Crowley standing there, his hands interlaced together. The King of Hell looked meditative and almost remorseful. “So… We… have an issue.”

          “Issue?” Dean repeated incredulously. “And this is so big an issue that I needed to be transported here with no warning? A phone call would have worked.”

          “Abaddon is the issue, Dean.”

          He faltered. “Abaddon? Like the legendary demon Abaddon?”

          “Yes, the Knight of Hell—Cain’s former second-in-command,” Crowley explained. “She has… returned, more or less. She’s working with Alastair in an attempt to overthrow me as King. And it turns out that there are more than just the two of them—demons all over are beginning to side with them, believing Abaddon to be the rightful ruler.”

          “But Abaddon wasn’t chosen by Cain, right?” Dean queried. “That other chick—Lexi, I think—I was chosen to lead the Knights now.”

          Crowley nodded, exhaling sharply. “Yes… but some still believe that Abaddon was the first and true choice. Abaddon betrayed Cain and was therefore exiled… but there are some who do… _appreciate_ her way of doing things.”

          “And what is her way of doing things?”

          “Apocalyptic.”

          “Why am I not surprised?” Dean pinched the bridge of his nose.

          “There is… something else,” Crowley confessed. He avoided the human’s gaze, studying the cracks in the floor. “Something that… well… I hate to have to be the one to tell you this.”

          Dean stiffened. A sense of dread filled him and it took all he had to not grimace. He kept his emotions masked but waited with bated breath for Crowley to continue.

          “Abaddon… killed one of the Knights.”

          Dean’s world began to crash down around him. “Who?” his voice was a hoarse whisper, even though he knew the answer before Crowley even spoke.

          “Faith.”


	18. How Many Times Will These Characters Die?

          But Faith was not as dead as Crowley and Dean believed her to be. Lexi had brought the corpse of her dead friend back to Hell after the battle with Abaddon. After Faith had been stabbed, Lexi went into a frenzy. The Mark glowed white on her arm and she was filled with such a tremendous rage—she had never experienced anything like it before in her entire existence. The next thing she remembered, Lexi was on her hands and knees next to Faith’s body, sobbing. Dana and Victoria were crouched beside her, trying to talk Lexi back to the world of the conscious. Lexi did not remember chasing Abaddon off, although both recruits swore that she had. She didn’t remember the look of pure terror in Abaddon’s eyes that the recruits promised was there. The only thing she knew in that moment was that her best friend—the girl she had sold her soul for—was dead.

          Lexi didn’t know what to do after they brought Faith’s body back. Faith was laid on her bed, and Lexi sat in her own, staring across room at the corpse. She had lost her best friend once. She vowed to all that was holy—and all that was evil—that she would never lose her again. She would protect her, even though Faith would protest and roll her eyes. Lexi would not go through it again.

          But here she was.

          Just like before, she was staring at her best friends broken, bleeding body.

          The tears came without warning. They felt so alien to her now—she had not cried since she became a demon, and that felt like a forever ago. Now, she couldn’t stop them. The sobs followed—terrible, horrible-sounding, body-wrenching sobs. Her entire body shook and quivered like a child. Then, the tears dried up. She sat there, just staring at Faith’s body. Her face was red, her eyes hurt, and her stomach was twisted into a painful knot. But she couldn’t cry anymore. She couldn’t find the energy to.

          Lexi took a deep, shuddering breath. If she brought Faith back before, she could do it again. There had to be a way to do it.

          Almost subconsciously, her hand ghosted over the Mark. Slowly, Lexi’s eyes wandered down to the Mark on her arm. She wondered… It couldn’t hurt, could it? Lexi got up and walked over to Faith’s bed. Lexi closed her eyes, taking her friend’s right hand in hers. She didn’t know Cain had transferred the Mark to her, but she assumed that it couldn’t be too hard. And it wasn’t. Lexi just let it go—willed it to go. And then the Mark illuminated on her arm—glowed a bright gold—and then began to light up her veins. The light moved down Lexi’s forearms and then transferred over onto Faith’s.

          Lexi watched as the Mark formed on Faith’s forearm, just below her elbow. When she pulled away, the light that had formed between them disappeared. She waited for almost a solid minute before poking her friend. Lexi closed her eyes and prayed to something—or someone… at this point, she didn’t care. “Please work, please work, please work, please work…”

          “Lexi,” Faith’s lips moved slightly so the voice could pass through.

          She froze, looking down to see Faith’s eyes wide open. “Yeah?” Lexi asked, unable to keep the happiness out of her voice.

          “Shut the fuck up.”

          Lexi felt herself smile. The tears pricked at the sides of her eyes from happiness, but she blinked them away. “Good to have you back, Fae Fae.”


	19. Can Things Get Any Worse?

          Now came the predicament that no one was really prepared for: there were three people currently alive with the Mark of Cain: Cain, Lexi, and now Faith. And, there was only one Blade between the three of them. The Mark saved Faith’s life, but now she was infected with its dark disease. It something that Lexi had not considered when she gave her friend the Mark—all she was concerned with was keeping Faith alive and with her.

          When Faith walked out of the room with Lexi and Crowley saw her, he jumped. For a moment, he was sure he saw a ghost until he saw the Mark on Faith’s arm. The King of Hell was filled with an immediate sense of dread. While he was glad that Lexi’s friend was alive, he was not pleased to know that now there were two demons that _worked_ for him that were _stronger_ than him.

          Dean, of course, was beyond thrilled to see her alive. Like Crowley, however, when he saw the Mark on her arm, his excitement faded. Faith told Dean that they needed to talk and the pair disappeared, leaving Lexi and Crowley alone. She could feel his eyes on her, but didn’t meet his gaze, afraid of what she would find there.

          “Darling,” Crowley said. His voice was tight, but mostly emotionless. “I’m not angry… but why did you do it? Why did you think it was _remotely_ a good idea to give her the Mark?”

          Lexi didn’t answer for almost a solid minute. “I…” she paused again. “I don’t know… I wasn’t thinking about whether or not it was a good idea… I was thinking about what would bring my friend back to me.”

          Crowley’s look changed into one of sympathy.

          “And what if what you brought back is not your friend at all?”

          Lexi shook her head. “Faith’s already a demon. It’s not like she can’t get worse.”

          “You’d be surprised,” Crowley murmured. “You two are… tame as far as demons go. I imagine it’s because you had such strict training under Cain. Now, however, things are different. You’re already struggling with your lust for the Blade, and you haven’t had the Mark that long. When will Faith want the Blade too? Will you just hand it over to her, or keep it for yourself? I don’t want to see you to fight, and I sure as all hell don’t want two Knights to get in an all-out war.”

          She continued to shake her head in denial. “That won’t happen,” she assured him. “I won’t let it happen. Faith is like my sister—I would never hurt her, especially not over something as stupid as the Blade.”

          Crowley got that sympathetic look in his eyes again. “You might not mean to hurt her… but when it comes down to the Mark… you might not be able to help yourself.”

          Lexi shuddered at the thought. She started toward the door with the full intent on finding Faith and making things right again—get that guarantee that they wouldn’t allow the Mark to destroy their friendship. Before she could leave the room, though, she felt a hand grab her wrist. She looked back to see Crowley standing right beside her. “I am glad Faith is alive,” he murmured softly. “Don’t leave.”

          She was taken aback by his quiet plea. What else could she do other than obey him? Lexi felt her heart flutter a little. Acting on impulse, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his cheek. When she pulled away, she didn’t miss the look of pleasant surprise on her King’s face. She flashed him a smile. “Never.”


	20. Yes. The Answer is Yes.

          Now, we’re going to take a look at our villains. Abaddon and Alastair were in Massachusetts, and had just finished slaughtering an entire group of nuns. They had brought the bodies to a chapel and Abaddon was in the middle of performing a complicated ritual. Alastair hung back, his eyes narrowed as he watched. That was the moment when Alastair the torturer was looking at his life and questioning his choices. Sure, he wanted to see Crowley be dethroned. He wanted Hell to be free. He wanted nothing more than to see the Scottish prick and his American whore destroyed… But at what cost? Was getting Abaddon’s help the best solution? He knew damn well that the former Knight had an agenda to get back into Hell and, perhaps even control it. Would Hell be better off under Lucky the Leprechaun Salesman or Abaddon the murderous psychopathic bitch? A true question for the ages.

          “Do you really think involving… _him_ is a good idea?” he asked as Abaddon neared the end of her enchantment.

          Abaddon nodded. “We need our Prince, Alastair,” she assured him. “I managed to kill the redheaded Knight, but the other one—Crowley’s favorite—is very strong. She has the Mark of Cain… I can’t defeat her in fair combat.” Her words took Alastair by surprise—he never would have guessed that she would ever admit that, although he was not too surprised to learn how strong the American bitch was. “But if anyone can overthrow Crowley and take care of her, it would be him.”

          Alastair still was dubious about the whole process as Abaddon finished the spell. She stood up and backed away from the little altar they had built. Alastair looked back and forth between the altar and Abaddon expectantly. “Is something supposed to happen?”

          “Shut up,” she hissed under her breath, giving him a sharp nudge in the ribs. A few moments of silence passed before Abaddon took careful step forward. “Father?”

          The nun lying on the altar shuddered. The corpse suffered a few spasms before its eyes flew open. They were jet-black and the body took in a shuddering breath. “Well, well, well, it’s sure been a long time since I got to talk to another creature,” a dark voice came from the nun’s mouth. It was deep and definitely masculine. Alastair felt himself involuntarily shiver at the sound. It was the type of voice that haunted nightmares. “Who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?”

          “Abaddon, Father,” she replied swiftly. “And I have Alastair with me. We are both your children.”

          “Ah, Abaddon. So nice to hear your voice again, my pet. How are the Knights doing?”

          “Not well,” she explained. “Crowley has had Cain train two new ones to act as her _personal guard_. They don’t protect Hell from angels or anything—they follow Crowley around and protect him from anyone who wants to do him harm.”

          “Crowley?” the voice asked. “I’ve never heard that name.”

          “He used to be a Crossroads Demon, Father. Now he’s the King of Hell—he took _your_ title,” Abaddon told him.

          A silence followed, which made Alastair uneasy. He waited for his Father’s next words with bated breath.

          “I take it you want my help to overthrow him?”

          No response.

          “Get me out and we’ll talk.”

          Both demons balked at the request. “Father, that’s… We can’t do that. You’re locked in the cage… No demon can break you out.”

          “No,” Lucifer agreed. “But you can break the seals that keep me contained. Break the seals, Abaddon. Oh, and… find me Sam Winchester.”

“Sam Winchester?” she repeated incredulously. “The hunter?” “Did I stutter?” the voice replied sharply, making Abaddon flinch.

          “How am I to break the seals?”

          “Find Azazel,” Lucifer instructed. “He knows how.”

          With that, the nun fell limp, her eyes closing. Alastair stared at the altar and then looked at his companion. “Well?” he asked. “You heard Lucifer. Let’s find Azazel.”


	21. Date Night with Dean

          Faith and Dean wandered the trails of Sioux Falls. The falls themselves were off to their left, the sound of water creating a soothing, almost numbing background noise. The two lovebirds walked, their hands not linked but dangerously close to each other. Faith admired the beauty of the twilight and the way the dim light of the setting sun shone on the waterfalls. She felt herself smile. “This is really pretty,” she remarked softly.

          Dean nodded. “Yeah, I like coming here,” he answered, smiling at Faith instead of the falls.

          She grinned. “Do you take all your hot dates here?”

          “No, only the ones I really like,” was the answer. Faith felt herself blush a little. She walked ahead of Dean so he wouldn’t see the effect he had on her.

          Taking a moment, she paused at the edge of the trail, looking at the falls. She realized how lucky she was to be alive and experiencing this moment. _I should be dead,_ she thought with a shudder. She should have been dead a long time ago, but that never stopped her, or never stopped Lexi would be a more apt description. “Dean,” she whispered. At first, she didn’t think that he would hear her.

          But he did, and he was at her side in an instant. “Yeah?”

          Her hand involuntarily went and rested on the Mark of Cain. “I don’t want this,” she murmured, referring to the disease that was now coursing through her blood.

          Silence met her words. Then, Dean’s timid voice sounded. “Okay… We don’t… We don’t have to see each other anymore if you don’t want to.”

          Faith immediately grabbed his hand, panicking. “No, no, no, that’s not what I meant!” she rapidly amended. She looked up at him and saw relief flood his face.

          “Oh,” was all he said as a smile spread across his face.

          She leaned up and pressed her lips softly against his. Dean reciprocated, his arms moving to encircle her waist. After a few moments, she pulled away from the kiss, only to press one to his chin. The stubble made her laugh a little. “You need to shave,” she observed teasingly.

          Dean shrugged. “I was thinkin’ about maybe just letting it get long.”

          Faith took a moment and studied his face. “Hmm, maybe.”

          He kissed her forehead softly. “What were you referring to, if you don’t mind me asking.”

          “This,” she sighed, showing him the Mark on her arm.

          Dean’s brow furrowed as he looked at it. “Maybe… Maybe we can find a way to get it off?”

          Faith shook her head. “Don’t you think that if there was a way, Cain would have gotten it off years ago? He has been around for thousands and thousands of years.”

          He let out a huff and studied the Mark more closely. “Well… if anyone can get it off you, it’s Sammy.”

          She stiffened at the mention of Dean’s brother. She was comfortable with Dean—by now she was relatively certain that he _wasn’t_ gonna murder he in her sleep. But other hunters? Faith wasn’t so sure. Sam sounded like a really nice guy, but how would he react to a demon?

          Dean noticed her uneasiness. “Hey, don’t worry about Sammy. He won’t try to kill you. I’ll make sure of it.”

          Faith was still hesitant but nodded nonetheless. “Okay. Let’s go meet Sammy.”


	22. FERGUS!

          Lexi was in the Throne Room with Crowley when the double doors burst open. “My Lord!” A demon strode into the room. There were a few cuts and bruises on her vessel’s face and neck. “We found her!”

          Crowley stood up, his face growing very serious. “Where is she now?”

          “We put her in the dungeons, my Lord,” the demon replied, bowing a little.

          “Very well. Thank you, Mary,” Crowley said, waving his hair to let the woman know she was dismissed.

          Lexi moved to stand beside him. “Crowley?” she asked, curious. “Who are they talking about? Did you order them to find someone?”

          Crowley nodded. “Yes… it was… very much on the down-low. I didn’t want too many people to know about it so it wouldn’t be ruined,” he explained. He left the Throne Room then, and Lexi followed as usual.

          “If you don’t mind me asking, who is it?” she inquired.

          For a while, the King was very quiet as they walked toward the dungeons. Lexi kept looking at him, waiting for his answer which didn’t seem to be coming. And then, he heaved a displeased sigh. “Well… I suppose there is no delicate way of putting this… My mother.”

          Lexi froze mid-step. That was not what she had been expecting to hear at all. Crowley was an old demon—far older than Lexi. He’d been around since… well… Lexi didn’t even know how long. She figured his mother had died a long time ago. “Son of a bitch,” she grumbled.

          “Son of a witch, actually,” he corrected, turning to face her. His face was now void of emotion and he stared at a spot on the wall. “My mother was… well… a ginger bitch, no offense to other gingers like that friend of yours.” He paused a moment, then looked at Lexi directly. She didn’t miss the agitation in his eyes. “Did you know that she once tried to sell me for three pigs? _Three?!_ ” he hissed. “I was an attractive child… I could juggle… I was worth _five_ pigs at least.”

          This whole situation was so surreal. Never in her wildest dreams did Lexi think that she would ever be standing in Hell, next to the King of Hell, listening as said King of Hell told her about the time his witch mother almost sold him for three pigs. “Oh… well… that does not sound… pleasant at all.”

          Crowley huffed and turned his back on her. “Well, come on. Let’s go meet the witch, yeah?” Not even waiting for an answer, he proceeded to the dungeons. Lexi followed him the rest of the way in silence. When they reached the door off the cell, Crowley halted outside. Lexi swore she looked nervous.

          “Are you… alright, Crowley?” she inquired softly.

          The King of Hell let out a deep breath before nodded. “Let’s get this over with.” He opened the door and stepped inside. Lexi followed, resisting the urge to grab his hand to reassure him. He needed to do this on his own and look strong.

          The woman Lexi saw was nothing like she expected. She was small—small wasn’t even a good enough adjective. _Petite_ was more like it. She had to be at least half Crowley’s size. She was more like Faith’s size—5’2 or 5’3, Lexi guessed. She had long, red hair that fell down past her shoulders and bangs that hung slightly in her eyes. She looked up at Crowley and Lexi when they entered. “ _Fergus,_ ” she spat in a thick, Scottish accent.

          Lexi glanced at Crowley and arched an eyebrow. “Fergus?” she repeated.

          “My name is Crowley, mother,” he replied, ignoring Lexi’s comment all together. “Not Fergus—that was the worst name you could have ever chosen for me. I’m _Crowley_ , King of Hell.”

          The woman gave him a taunting smile. “I’m sure, Fergus. And who’s this?” she asked, turning her attention to Lexi. The demon in question straightened up and held her head high. Her hand instinctively rested on the Blade as she stared down the redhead.

          “This is my bodyguard, a Knight of Hell,” Crowley explained proudly. He gave Lexi and admiring glance. It made her heart swell with delight.

          “A bodyguard, eh?” She laughed then. “What’s the matter, Fergus? Afraid a’ yer wee mother? Is that why you need your bodyguard?”

          Crowley visibly stiffened. His eyes narrowed, but he appeared unable to form a response to his mother’s jabs. Lexi, even though she promised herself she would let Crowley do this on his own, felt the need to intervene. “You should speak to the King with more respect. He is a very busy man with a lot of enemies.”

          His mother looked at her and gave her a patronizing smile. “Oh, you poor dear. You’re head-over-heels in love with him, aren’t you?” Lexi felt heat rise to her cheeks. Now it was her turn to be silent. “Pity,” the witch continued. “You could do better. But even, you have nothing to fear from little old Rowena.”

          “That remains to be seen,” Crowley replied, clearing his throat. Lexi could see that he was visibly flustered now. “You’ve been meddling in matters that do not concern you, mother. How many of my demons have you killed now?”           This was news to Lexi. Her eyes flew to Crowley as she began to wonder how much her king had been keeping from her all this time. What was he talking about? Did he mean crossroads demons that Rowena had killed? But why would Rowena go after them? Her eyes narrowed slightly and she paid close attention to the conversation that followed.

          “As many as I needed to,” Rowena answered with a smirk. “They were really easy to kill, too—might want to look into training your monsters better.”

          Crowley ignored her remark and continued on with his questioning. “You killed them because you’re looking for the same thing I am, aren’t you? The Book of the Damned.”

          Lexi stepped a little closer to Crowley. Why on earth was he looking for the Book of the Damned? That was something that only witches could use, or at least those who tempted fate with black magic. Why did he want it? Crowley looked in her direction for a moment, an almost rueful look in his eyes. He looked almost apologetic before he turned back to Rowena. The moment he saw his mother, his face turned to stone and his eyes hardened into shards of ice. “Why do you want the Book of the Damned?” he asked her.

          Rowena arched an eyebrow in return. “Why do _you_ want the Book of the Damned, Fergus? You can’t use it.”

          “No. But you can,” he stated matter-of-factly. “Even if you weren’t killing my demons, I would have had to find you eventually—you just made it easier for me. Because, when I find it, there is a spell in it that I need you to perform.”

          Now, Rowena actually looked interested. “What kind of spell?”

          He didn’t answer right away. He looked at Lexi and pursed his lips into a thin line. “A spell that will remove the Mark of Cain from her arm.”


End file.
